Cai Appointed to Assistant Professor
Danqi Cai [dan-CHI Tsai] is a spring 2023 graduate of the UT School of Art MFA program. The program is proud to announce that she was appointed as Assistant Professor of Foundations at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She began in the fall of 2023.
In addition to the news of her appointment, Cai has been selected for inclusion in a biennial exhibition showcasing artists in the midsouth. She is among 35 artists selected for the 2023 Irene Rosenzweig Biennial Juried Exhibition, organized by the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas (ASC). The exhibition opened in July, 2023, at ASC, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with an awards reception and continued through mid-October. Cai’s work is titled “The Atomic Boy.”
Cai is a native of Shenzhen, China, a large city in the vicinity of Hong Kong. This city is located in a sub-tropical zone, so she never saw snow until coming to the United States to study at Rocky Top.
“To me, the appeal of UT was its interdisciplinary emphasis,” said Cai. “I felt supported here to cultivate the time-based aspects of my work. When I chose a grad school, I looked at the reputation of the program in preparing students for careers in teaching. UT gave me the opportunity to be the instructor of record, giving me great experience to build my skills in pedagogy. In addition, I was able to participate in a pilot MFA professional practice seminar. It helped to demystify the academic job market. We worked through mock applications, teaching statements, interviews, and job talks. I felt fortunate to be able to go through this process. The mentorship from many faculty members was invaluable.”